Just one variety of the many sliders available at a bargain during Vinoteca’s happy hour.

Are you a fan of D.C.’s myriad wine bars, but find you always end up spending too much money when you head to one for happy hour? Problem solved at Vinoteca just off U St. NW, which continues to offer its phenomenal $5-a-glass happy hour five days a week. Far from the stuffy snobbery that can sometimes accompany wine-centric establishments, Vinoteca offers a vibrant atmosphere at its brightly-colored bar area, including a healthy, but manageable, din of conversation from patrons and an upbeat soundtrack. Happy hour at Vinoteca, which during a recent mid-week visit was full but not overcrowded, runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, and Tuesday through Friday.

It was really hard to decide what was the true star of the evening: the wine or the food offerings for happy hour. Vinoteca’s reduced-price wines number 20, and include some truly delicious and unique offerings … but then there’s the sliders (pardon my drool). The sliders are an indecisive eater’s dream: There are six different varieties, and mixing and matching is strongly encouraged. For $7, you get two sliders and a small salad, and can choose from beef with cheddar, lamb with feta and eggplant, bison with gruyere and caramelized onions, venison with brie and poblano (additional $1), tuna with chili mayo or grilled portobello. None–and I’m pretty sure we tried all of them–were disappointing. Despite the fact that the kitchen was turning out sliders faster hotcakes, there was no compromise on the trimmings or how well they were cooked.